No. 6 UConn beats Fairleigh Dickinson 78-54

By PAT EATON-ROBB, Associated Press
| 6:37 p.m.Dec. 8, 2010

Connecticut's Roscoe Smith, right, is fouled by Fairleigh Dickinson's Kamil Svrdlik during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Storrs, Conn., on Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2010. (AP Photo/Fred Beckham)
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Connecticut's Roscoe Smith, right, is fouled by Fairleigh Dickinson's Kamil Svrdlik during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Storrs, Conn., on Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2010. (AP Photo/Fred Beckham)
/ AP

Connecticut's Kemba Walker, right, is fouled by Fairleigh Dickinson's Nate Gibbs during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Storrs, Conn., on Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2010. (AP Photo/Fred Beckham)— AP

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Connecticut's Kemba Walker, right, is fouled by Fairleigh Dickinson's Nate Gibbs during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Storrs, Conn., on Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2010. (AP Photo/Fred Beckham)
/ AP

The Huskies, who beat top 10 teams Michigan State and Kentucky, have struggled at times against lesser opponents like Vermont and New Hampshire, but had no trouble with the Knights.

A tomahawk dunk from Lamb just inside the lane turned a 14-point halftime lead into a 48-27 advantage 4 1/2 minutes into the second half.

Smith's alley-oop dunk from Nappier with just under 3 minutes left made it 73-46.

The Huskies outrebounded the Knights 48-38, and held FDU to 33 percent shooting from the field.

Connecticut held Fairleigh Dickinson without a field goal for the first 7 minutes of the game. But the Huskies hit just two of their first 12 shots and led 8-6 after Mathias Seilund hit a jumper for Fairleigh Dickinson.

A 15-0 UConn run gave the Huskies a 35-8 lead, punctuated when Napier inbounded the ball under his own basket off the back of Seiland, grabbed the ball and laid it in.

A jumper by Niels Giffey gave the Huskies a 20-point lead with just over 5 minutes left in the first half, 33-13.

Fairleigh Dickinson responded with an 8-2 run and trailed 35-21 at halftime.

The half ended with Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun and center Charles Okwandu exchanging words as they headed to the locker room. Calhoun said he took exception to Okwandu's complaining about a play around the basket. Calhoun ended the conversation by telling the 7-foot senior to "go home."

Okwandu, who started four games this season, returned to the game midway through the second half, and immediately blocked a shot. He had one rebound and no points in 10 minutes.

Fairleigh Dickinson had won three straight coming into the game. The Knights fell to 5-46 against Big East schools, and 0-2 against Connecticut. UConn won the other meeting in the first round of the 1998 NCAA tournament, 93-85.

UConn improved its record to 136-18 in Gampel Pavilion and 67-4 against non-conference opponents.

Connecticut still has home games against Coppin State and Harvard before beginning its Big East schedule on Dec. 27 at No. 3 Pittsburgh.